


Remnant

by Kymla



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bad End AU, Multi, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:47:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23828593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kymla/pseuds/Kymla
Summary: At the final battle against Emet Selch, Ardbert is too late to join his soul with that of the WoL's and the bad ending comes about. The light aether takes over, corrupting the Warrior of light. What shall the heroes do when their hero is turned into a monster. And is the Warrior of Light still there at all?
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	1. Final Battle

“I’m so sorry,” Ardbert said, kneeling before the huge column of light that was towering above the city of Amaurot, “ I was too late.” was this his curse? Was this what he had waited around a hundred years for? To fail at the last moment when they needed him?  
The WoL looked at Ardbert kneeling in front of the light, head in his hands. The light was tearing them apart, cracking their skin apart. The cracks being suffused with light. An entire world’s worth of light aether was forcing its way in. Splitting them apart, breaking everything within them. They kept looking at Ardbert, a final cry of their soul trying to make itself heard. Something about Ardbert would probably keep them safe. They reached out what looked like a hand, it was gigantic and unable to keep a solid form.   
Ardbert looked up at the giant hand that was reaching out for him. Were they going to end him? Would serve him right for not being able to help at the last moment. He reached out towards the hand and the column of light. Ardbert closed his eyes as light consumed him.  
‘So be it.’ he thought to surrender himself to the light.  
‘Don’t give up quite yet.’ the WoL responded, faintly barely able to be heard ‘I need you to be my shield.’  
‘You are still?!’ Ardbert thought before his soul merged with the remnants of the WoL’s soul.  
The scions watched in defeat as the column of light branched towards the sky above the sea. A monstrous howl could be heard coming from the light. The Light-Warden was coming.   
Emet-Selch was bent over gripping his sides, “Look at you! You are only a monster now” he threw his head back and laughed, “And here you were thinking to destroy me!”  
“I would have let you turn into a monster in peace, and now you are turning into a monster in front of your friends!” Emet-Selch said while still laughing, “Oh look upon Hydalen’s champion now!”  
Alphinaud began to walk towards Emet, rage plain on his face, Alisaie had to lung forward in order to grab his arm and pull him back to the group.  
“Alphinaud please!” she said, “What are you thinking?”  
Alphinaud turned towards his twin, rage breaking into tears, “There must be some way we can help! They might still be in there!” he directed his plea to the adults of the group, hoping one of them might have some plan to fix this. All he saw was despair and shock on their faces. Alisaie also felt tears starting to gather in her eyes, as she looked upon the almost complete Light Warden before them. She tightened her grip on Alphinaud, she refused to go through this alone.   
The column of light that had been towering to the heavens, collapsed back onto itself, showering them in light.   
Before them, all stood a monumental Light Warden. It was gigantic towering over them all.   
G’raha Tia looked upon the Light Warden with despair, a hundred years of planning, and all of those sacrificed, brought to nothing. He slid to his knees, still holding his staff up. Hope was lost, this Light Warden would bring about the end of the First, and thus the rejoining would happen with the Source. Tears streamed down his face as he beheld them, “I’m so sorry.” he whispered. G’raha Tia had given up. What else was there to do?   
The Light Warden stretched its massive neck as if it was cracking it from side to side. Arching its back and letting two massive wings stretch out.   
“Gods, it’s waking up.” Thancred said, shaking himself free of the shock, “We need to get out of here.”  
He looked to his friends, who were starting to come to as well. They were all banged up from trying to fight Emet, they were in no shape to fight a Light Warden of such power and size.   
“We need to leave!” Thancred snapped loudly, “Before it comes after us!”  
Y’shtola heard Thancred, she couldn’t believe the monstrous amount of light aether she saw before her. A colossal roar erupted from the Light Warden, sending them all stumbling back by the force of it. It had spread its arms wide as if challenging them all by going “look upon me and tremble!”   
Thancred roughly grabbed Urianger’s shoulder, “Grab the Exarch! We cannot leave him here!”  
Urianger nodded and spun out a golden rope from his hands, latching it on to G’raha Tia around his middle, “Forgive me for this Exarch!” Urianger said before giving a mighty heave and tossing G’raha Tia at Thancred who caught him.   
G’raha Tia was to hurt and upset to even register he had just gone sailing through the air like a fish. Surely if they were still in there they would have laughed at the sight. The Light Warden was still letting loose a roar powerful enough to shake the world. G’raha Tia turned his head he couldn’t bear to look at them. It had all turned to ruin.   
Emet watched with contempt as he saw the Scions and the Crystal Excarch flee with their lives from the spectacle. He, on the other hand, was quite enjoying the show.   
“What now?” he asked of the Light Warden, “A monster you have become, and your stalwart friends have abandoned you!”  
Inside the turmoil of rage and light aether, Ardbert was doing his best to shield the small fragment of the soul that still remained. He had watched the Scions flee with the Exarch, and Emet taunting them.   
“Damn bloody Ascian,” Ardbert said, “If only I could control this monster and use it to finish him.”  
As if the Light Warden had heard him, they looked down at Emet, letting loose a spectacular sin eater growl. Something deep inside had resonated with Ardbert’s words.  
‘Ascian’ flitted through the light, the fragment reached out and caught the thought before it could disappear like the others, ‘Ascian, Enemy’  
With those two thoughts, the Light Warden changed its demeanor, no longer a mindless monster, screaming its fury at the world. The Light Warden had focused upon Emet, one thought beating through its being ‘Enemy’   
Emet took a small step back as the Light Warden got down on their massive legs their wings raised, and tail smashing the ground. The Light Warden truly was a massive beast to look at. The Light Warden opened its massive jaw and screamed rage at Emet-Selch. White teeth dripping with light aether. Emet laughed at the sight.  
“Oh my, it looks like you want to fight!” Emet pulled his hand down on his face bringing forth his mask, “If you think you can go against Hades, then come forth and fight!”  
The Light Warden roared and charged Hades with all of their strength, a massive blow that sent shockwaves through the world.


	2. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world feeling the aftershocks of the battle between the Light Warden and Hades. Ardbert unwittingly leads the Light Warden to a new place to call Home where the Light Warden can rule from. But where does the WoD consider home on the First?

The scions returned to the Crystarium, beaten and broken unable to look up upon the sky full once again with light aether. The darkness had barely been brought back before being swept away by the light.  
Thancred saw the people coming towards them no doubt wanting to know what had happened to their Warrior of Darkness. He was in no mood to try and placate an anxious crowd. He glanced down at the Exarch who’s head was bowed he had not said a single thing on their way back to the Crystarium. Thancred sighed and ran his hand through his hair, this was not something they had planned for. As he was about to say something to the Exarch a massive shockwave exploded through the Crystarium throwing people down to the ground with the force of it.   
“By the Twelve!” Urianger cried out, watching all the buildings and structures shake in the energy of the shockwave.   
G’raha Tia had been thrown to the ground, he could hear people screaming, someone had to help them. No, he had to help them, was he the Crystal Exarch or not? He stood up on shaky legs, using his staff to hold himself up.  
“Everyone to the tower!” he shouted, forcing himself to walk upon the shifting and rolling ground, “Get everyone to the tower! It shall withstand this shaking!”  
The Scions quickly got up and started to gather everyone that had been in the Dossal Gates towards the tower, helping people who had been knocked over up the stairs.   
“The Occular is too small to hold everyone.” Thancred said, “We can’t fit a whole city into it.”  
“We are not going to the Occular,” G’raha Tia said, holding hands with a small Myste child who had been crying, “We are going to the basement.”  
Thancred was startled by this, he knew the WoL had recently cleared out the basement of monsters but wasn’t that huge mech still down there?  
G’raha tia looked at Thancred, as he climbed the stairs, “Tycoon shall not hurt these people, nor will it hurt us. They promised me so.”  
With the Scions help, they had gathered everyone they could find into the lower levels of the tower. G’raha knew that the tower would hold firm against this he just wasn’t sure how this would change the World. The Myste child pulled on his hand, still crying, she had been looking for her parents but had been lost in the chaos. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.  
“Come little one let’s find your parents,” G’raha said turning his back to the World that was shaking because of a Light Warden’s fury and a sky full of light.   
Ardbert couldn’t believe the aftermath of the fight. The whole place had been destroyed by the battle. Bits of what he could only guess as Hades littered the area. It had been a fight between titans with the Light Warden coming out on top.   
He had thought he had heard Hades say something like, “Remember us, remember that we once lived”  
The Light Warden had only roared and tore him to pieces. Ardbert thought wryly he would be the only one to remember the Ascian now. The Light Warden had finally finished their rampage and looked as if they were trying to find somewhere to rest.  
“Not exactly your room back in the Crystarium eh?” he said, “though I guess you would be just a tad too big to fit in there now.” he let out a laugh then looked around he was just surrounded by light, he could see the world beyond the light, but could not interact with it. He gently reached out to the remnant that was with him in this maelstrom of light. The soul was so tiny and broken, it would take all of his might just to make sure that it didn’t get swallowed up by the light and disappear.  
He cradled the soul in his hands bringing it close to his chest, “Don’t you worry now, we will figure this out somehow.”  
The remnant was too tired to respond to Ardbert or to even hear him, the only faintly felt safe and secure in his hands. The thoughts that had propelled them to battle had been tugged away by the light now that the enemy was gone. And there was no one else to battle.   
The remnant could feel the light warden looking for something, the remnant reached out a curious feeling wondering what this beast could be looking for. A feeling of rage and of being trapped, slammed into the remnant, the light warden was looking for somewhere to rest, somewhere it could look upon its domain. The light warden felt trapped underneath all of this water, the light warden wanted to soar far above, where they could show off their strength and power.   
The remnant pulled away from the light warden uncertain of what it had felt from the light warden. The remnant put a thought out towards Ardbert, sharing what they had felt.   
Ardbert was surprised by the connection, the little soul was sending out a feeling of what the light warden wanted. He could still faintly feel the presence of the WoD, but it was so faint it might have just been his imagination.  
“The beast wants somewhere to go is that it?” he asked of the remnant, Ardbert considered it, down here the light warden wasn’t able to hurt someone, they could cause all sorts of chaos and actually affect anything up above. Yet it was probably only a matter of time before they grew bored with being underwater and went above anyways.   
Ardbert felt his head hurt, he was a warrior, not a scholar what was he supposed to do?   
“Well alright then!” he shouted still holding the remnant in his hands, “let’s go find this beasty a home!”  
The Light Warden shook with the shout from Ardbert, the remnant had also latched on to a singular word, ‘home’ that word sent vibrations echoing throughout the light warden, who spread their wings and lept into empty space, using their enormous wings. The burst out of the water, and into the air.   
The Light Warden roared out its escape from underneath the sea, to the world above. Now here was a place where it could truly reign.  
Ardbert was still holding the remnant close to him, he hadn’t expected the light warden to go towards the sky and the world.  
“Was it something I said?” he asked, he felt the remnant reach out to him, a phrase repeating in their soul, ‘Home’  
“Home?” Ardbert repeated, “But where would home be for this monster? The only place you ever called home was the.” Ardbert stopped as the thoughts clicked together for him and the implications, “Oh no.” he said, as the light warden sped towards the only place the Warrior of Darkness had ever called home on the First.


	3. Shining Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Light Warden has made itself known at the Crystal Tower, how will the Exarch handle the situation where his dear friend has been turned into a Light Warden?

Everyone was sitting within the lower levels of the Crystal Tower, wondering what was going to happen. A few tremors could still be felt, rocking through the tower. At that moment a resounding crash echoed through the Tower. People started screaming as a titanic roar echoed through it.  
“By the Twelve, its found its way here,” Urianger said, prompting more screaming by all of those that could hear him.  
Y’shtola threw Urianger a withering glare, “Excellent job Urianger.”  
Urianger had the grace not to respond as it would have just provoked a fight he would have lost.  
G’raha Tia stood up and faced the doors. This was his fate come screaming at the doors and he would be the one to fix it. He started to walk towards the door, Lyna caught up to him, reaching out for his arm to stop him.  
“Exarch where are you going?” she asked  
He just turned and smiled at her, “Keep the people, safe Captain.” and with that he strode out to the entrance, filled with a blinding beautiful light, it light up the whole tower with its power.  
G’raha looked upon his folly as it towered above him, the most magnificent Light Warden anyone had ever seen on the First. And it was purely his fault that it was standing before him. He glanced up at the sky, a horde of lesser sin eaters were being gathered by the Light Warden before him. It would only be a matter of time before the horde would fall upon them. It seemed that the Crystarium would be the first to fall in the rampage.  
Summoning his courage G’raha Tia walked down the steps of the Tower down to the plaza the Light Warden was waiting. The Light Warden was staring down at him, face impassive. Or so he thought, the 4 giant horns curling out of their head and face made it hard to discern.  
“What do you want here Light Warden? You already made the whole of the world tremble at your battle, have you come to finish us off then?” G’raha shouted at the Warden. Walking ever closer to it, showing off bravery that he didn’t know would finish him or not. Surprisingly enough the Warden got down lower to the ground, its massive head, closer than G’raha necessarily felt comfortable with. He could feel the light aether coming off of the Light Warden in waves. He only hopes being so close to it didn’t turn him into a sin eater as well.  
“Well?” G’raha said, “What are you going to do?”  
The Light Warden just roared in response, G’raha got a wonderful view down its gullet. He took a step back frightened, what was he doing? He couldn’t confront a light warden, that’s why he had summoned the Warrior of Light for.  
G’raha looked up at the Warden, maybe just maybe. He could feel the power of the tower pulsing behind him and through his body. Surely not?  
“Are you still in there my friend?” he yelled out at the Warden, they only stretched their form and flapped their wings roaring a challenge at him.  
“If I can summon you from across time and space, then surely I can summon you out of that thing!” G’raha yelled out at the light warden.  
G’raha closed his eyes and held his staff high, the light of the Crystal Tower shining off of it.  
‘O Crystal Tower,’ he prayed, ‘Please answer my call!’  
He could feel the Tower absolutely humming with energy, he gripped the staff tighter knowing it would ricochet through him like a wave.  
He swung the staff down, aiming it at the Light Warden, the pure fury of the Tower barreling toward them.  
“Answer my call! Relinquish the soul!” G’raha screamed out, “it is not yours to have!”  
The Light Warden bellowed its fury at the attack bracing itself against the onslaught. They would not give up the soul easily G’raha knew, this would be harder than calling their soul the first time from the Source.  
“My friend please,” G’raha cried out, “Answer the call!”  
Raha could feel the soul of the Warrior of Light answer to the clarion call, echoing back to him.  
“Yes!” G’raha shouted, “Yes! That’s it! Come on now!”  
The Light Warden lept out as to attack G’raha, swinging out a massive paw towards him, G’raha knew he would be to slow to block it all the way, he was focused on drawing the Warrior’s soul out. He prepared himself for the blow. It came with tremendous power, he was slung into the staircase, completely winded. The only reason he might have just survived was the crystal that covered most of his body now. G’raha was out of breath, and in pain from taking the full hit, he thought of the warrior and their battered body, and he slowly climbed up to his feet. Still holding on to his staff, glaring at the light warden.  
“Did you think that was all I had?” G’raha said he could feel fury rising up in him, this monster was not getting the best of him in his very own city, “Did you think I would give up?”  
G’raha flung the staff out pointing it directly towards the Light Warden, “You will relinquish that soul to me monster!”  
Summoning all the strength he could muster up, G’raha channeled everything he had at the Light Warden, shutting his eyes to focus, and doing his best to ignore the charging monster barreling towards him. He reached out to the soul of the Warrior.  
He could feel the soul-deep within, so small as to be almost completely consumed by the monster.  
‘Please my friend, please take my hand!’ G’raha said pleading into the monstrous amount of light aether.  
He could feel the answering echo, something was answering his call. A different light burst forth from the soul. A vibrant colorful light, a silvery hand reached out of the aether and grabbed his forearm.  
G’raha held tight to the soul and pulled with all his might. He could feel the Tower, rushing power to him, and to the soul helping to close the gap and pull the soul free.  
“Release them!” G’raha shouted, and he was then flung backward as a powerful explosion of power and light burst forth from the center of the swirling light aether. He could still feel the grip on his arm, was it feeling more solid now? Or was he just imagining things?  
A mournful wail reverberated throughout the Crystarium from the Light Warden. G’raha’s eyes opened at the shock of the noise, the noise sounded like something truly heartbroken.  
G’raha scrambled up, looking at the Light Warden curled up and keening its distress, looking down, G’raha saw the Warrior of Light sitting on the stairs in front of him. He couldn’t believe it he had actually done it! He had summoned the soul of the warrior of light again!  
He went as fast as he could down a couple of stairs, almost tripping over his robes in his haste to get down them. He fell to his knees before them, in awe of them sitting in front of him once again.  
They turned their head to smile at him, “Hello Raha,” they said, “I see you have gotten better at summoning eh?” they teased  
G’raha could feel himself beginning to blush, noticing the nickname they used for him.  
“Well, you didn’t make it easy on me!” G’raha said back to them, feeling so relieved and light-hearted that they were back! And sitting in front of him. He only had eyes for the Warrior of Light. He hadn’t taken any notice of the Light Warden starting to vanish into the light aether, the bits of aether drifting off into the sky.  
G’raha noticed the Warrior’s face was tense, “What’s wrong?” he asked worried that maybe they were in pain or hurting from the recent struggle.  
All of a sudden the Light Warden burst out in a shower of light as if a million pyre flys had been released.  
G’raha cried out reaching out for the Warrior as they fell over, clutching their chest, face twisted in pain. He hurriedly went over to them, bringing them into his lap, and holding them close.  
“What’s happening, I don’t understand!” G’raha cried out, fear making him panic and unable to think. Holding the Warrior of Light as close as he could.  
The Warrior only smiled, their hand gently cupping G’raha’s cheek, more glinting bits of light aether surrounding them, gently wisping by on their journey to the sky. They brushed a tear-off oh his face that he hadn’t even noticed.  
“I don’t understand,” G’raha said softly, hugging the Warrior ever closer, he was trying his best not to notice that the Warrior didn’t have legs anymore, they had slowly unraveled into light aether.  
“Yes you do,” the Warrior responded, “You know what happens when you defeat a Light Warden.”  
G’raha hiccuped the tears flowing freely now, “But I didn’t defeat it! I only called you out!”  
The Warrior laughed, “Silly, you basically ripped me out of it,” they took a deep breath, more of them were unraveling to the light. They wouldn’t have much more time, “I was that Light Warden, the light aether was a part of me.”  
“And I tore you out,” G’raha said everything clicking into place. He had forcefully ripped them out of the Light Warden, not even stopping to think of the consequences. Which had come with a higher cost then he was willing to pay.  
“Don’t be so sad,” the Warrior of light admonished, still holding cupping his cheek gently, “You brought the night back, and defeated the last Light Warden.”  
G’raha looked at them, there was so little of them left, they were practically see-through, a slight breeze and they would vanish.  
“I don’t want to lose you though,” G’raha said holding them as tight as he dared, “Maybe something in the Tower could.”  
The Warrior of Light shook their head, “Nothing in there can change this fate Raha.” they were so close to being gone, “I’m glad I got to see you again. Tell the scions I will miss them won’t you?”  
Before G’raha could respond they vanished in a shower of light. Holding his head in his hands G’raha let out a scream that tore his throat and broke his heart. He crumpled forward hands curled into fists and banging them as hard as he could against the stairs.  
Was this their fate? Was this what he got for thinking he could change fate? He screamed again. Letting all his pain and anger out. Nothing! It had all been for nothing! Unwrite history? Who was he kidding, the fates were cruel, tears streamed down his face, the First had been truly saved, it had taken more than he had thought he would lose. Their very soul was gone, brushed away as if it was nothing. G’raha hiccuped a few times, still crying his heart out. Sitting up and tilting his face up to look at the sky.  
It was a beautiful night sky, awash with stars. He hated it. He never wanted to see the beautiful night sky every again.  
Someone was shaking him roughly, he hadn’t even noticed someone come down the stairs.  
“Exarch!” the voice said, “We have a problem!”  
G’raha rocketed forward, gasping for air, he could feel a couple of tears sliding down his cheeks. He hurriedly brushed them off.  
“Thancred?” he asked, “What are you talking about?”  
G’raha looked around, he was in the basement of the tower, where the Warrior had descended to deal with the Tycoon so long ago.  
G’raha stood up, he was still inside the Tower, he had been asleep? That had all been a dream?  
“Easy there, Exarch.” Thancred said as he held the G’raha up he had almost fallen to the ground, “What’s wrong?”  
“A very terrible vision.” G’raha responded, “Horrible in fact.”  
Thancred was worried the Exarch would fall again if he let go, he still seemed weak in the knees. What kind of sight would make him weak in the knees?  
“I believe you were shouting about a problem?” G’raha asked trying to breathe normally, his heart racing from the relief that it hadn’t actually happened.  
“Yes,” Thancred responded, “While you were having your vision, our friend the Light Warden has made its home at the top of the Crystal Tower.”  
G’raha drew in a breath, the Light Warden was now at the Crystal Tower?  
“What should we do?” Thancred asked looking at the Exarch.  
G’raha drew himself up, he was beginning to have an inkling that his vision hadn’t just been merely a dream, but a show of what could be. This time he wouldn’t go alone.  
“Gather the scions up, we go to greet our new neighbor,” G’raha said making his way to the huge double doors, “And maybe ascertain for ourselves, if the Warrior is still within the Light Warden.”  
Thancred ruffled his hair up, he wanted to hope that the Warrior was still in there, he didn’t want to lose another friend. Thancred strode forward to gather the Scions up. Maybe together they could figure out how to save their friend.


End file.
